Welcome to meet the press now.

Happy Friday.

I'm Chuck Todd.

We begin with the breaking news out of the Justice Department in the wake of former President Trump formally announcing his 2024 candidacy on Tuesday.

72 hours later, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the appointment of a special counsel

to take over two criminal investigations he was overseeing that are tied to the former

president. Those investigations include the criminal investigation into classified documents

found at the former president's Florida residents at Marlago,

as well as what Garland called key aspects of the January 6th attack on the Capitol.

Garland said that the special counsel would not be looking at anyone who is present at the

Capitol during the riot, which of course Trump was not.

This was about the lead up to the insurrection.

Here's who will be leading these politically fraught investigations. His name's Jack Smith. He's a former federal prosecutor

who now serves as a prosecutor at the Hague. But he'll begin in his new role as special counsel

immediately as soon as he gets home from the Hague. As I noted, Garland's announcement comes less than 72 hours, actually, after former President Trump announced his third run for the White House, which Garland specifically cited as a key factor in his decision.

It is in the public interest to appoint a special prosecutor to independently manage an investigation and prosecution.

Based on recent developments, including the former president's announcement that he is a

candidate for president in the next election, and the sitting president stated intention to be a

candidate as well, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint a special

counsel. And a statement released shortly after the special counsel's appointment, a spokesperson

for former President Trump said, this is totally expected political stunt by a effectless,

politicized, weaponized, Biden Department of Justice. So not much of a statement there. This legal development for the former

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